Diamond in the Rough
by 1v-waS
Summary: What if Niall had asked Eric to take Sookie with him after her parent's death ? How will he deal with a little girl ? How will their relationship grow ? M later
1. Chapter 1

_Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. I just stop by to play in her sandbox._

_Many thanks to my beta treewitch703._

* * *

Eric looked around him with disgust. He hated hospitals. All those humans cooped up in this small building. The smell of illness and chemicals. The tears, the prayers and the screams. Pathetic. _The fuck am I doing here ?_

The nurse looked up from her computer and her eyes widened as they traveled up his body and to his face. Eric leered and winked at her when she finally met his eyes. She wasn't bad looking. 25, Dark hair, dark eyes. She would have made an adequate diner if he hadn't had one already. "Can...Can I help you sir ?"

"Yes, I'm looking for someone. A little girl who has been brought here tonight. Blond hair, blue eyes..."

"Oh, yes, Sookie Stackhouse, right ?" She interrupted him. Eric frowned. How dare she interrupt him ? Pathetic human.

"Yes, right, Sookie... Stackhouse." He repeated.

"Are you family ?" The nurse asked. _The fuck ?_

"Why ?" He replied.

"Well, sir, you probably know as well as I do that I can't give you any information if you're not family." No, he didn't knew. _This was the very first time he was looking for someone in an hospital. How was he supposed to know all that bullshit ?_

"In that case, yes, I am." He nodded.

"Well, sir, I need to see some ID." _Maybe he needed to drain her. No, that would be too messy. _

Eric gritted his teeth in frustration before staring at her.

"Look at me...What is your name ?"

"Lauren." The nurse's eyes glazed over and Eric smirked.

"Lauren ? Very well, Lauren, tell me..." He dropped his voice seductively. "Where can I find Sookie Stackhouse ?"

"Room 459, fourth floor."

"Good girl. Now, listen to me. You will forget seeing me here. I never came, never talked to you. Is that understood ?"

"Yes sir, you never came. You never talked to me."

"Good girl." He repeated before walking toward the stairs.

* * *

"I am here."

_"Am I speaking to the Norseman ?" _Unknown voice.

"Yes."_ Short answer, waiting for more._

_"Niall Brigant speaking."_ A raised eyebrow.

"Niall Brigant ? Really ?"

_"Yes. I need a favor, vampire." _The second eyebrow shooting up.

"A favor ? From me ?"

_"Indeed. I wouldn't be calling otherwise."_ Amusement at the fairy's irritation.

"I am listening." _Attentively._

_"Could we meet somewhere ?"_ No, seriously ?

"But of course. It would be lovely." _Very lovely, indeed._

_"I'm serious, vampire."_

"So am I."_ But that does not mean I am stupid._

_"Shreveport's business area, in an hour ?"_

"Very well."

_"I'll come alone."_

"So will I." _I can take you down by myself._

* * *

He was climbing the stairs quickly. The faster he'd get her, the faster they'd be out of here.

_First floor. _So many things to figure out. What to do ? Where to go ? How to keep his promise ? He didn't had the very first fucking clue about how to take care of a child. She'd need food...clothes...school... So many things. Who would take care of her during daylight ? He might not know a lot of things about children but he sure knew she couldn't take her of herself all day long. He'd have to let some people enter his house when he's at his most vulnerable . That mean he'd need at least a secured rest room.

_Second floor._ She'll have questions. Children are not stupid. She'll realize that he never ate...that he's never around during daylight... Should he explain things to her immediately? Could she keep the secret ? Or would he have to lock her down every day ? That wouldn't be good for her health. But how to make sure his secret would be safe ? How would she react knowing that her care-taker could kill her ? Would she be terrified of him ? If so, life would be complicated... What if she tried to escape ?

_Third floor._ Maybe he could summon Pam. She could help him... She's a woman, they're supposed to take care of children. Well, on a second thought, maybe not. Pam's never loved children. Not that he does either but... He'd better let her do whatever she was doing right now. He could already imagine what she'd tell him if she knew what he had agreed to do. Okay, so Pam wasn't a good idea. Not immediately anyway. She'd probably have a lot of fun frightening the child and that would complicate things for him. He'd wait before calling her then.

_Fourth floor._ And there was the main reason why Niall had asked his help. Breandan. The fucking fairy who was after the child. It had been a long time since the last time he had fought a fairy. And a part of him was hoping that the fucker would keep coming after the child. Fairy's blood was a delicacy he hadn't had in a long time. But according to Niall, Breandan was quite dangerous... Not that he was afraid, but the fairy was the one who had killed the child's parents. Niall was convinced that she was next. And if she was, the fairy would find him in the way.

_

* * *

Eric was leaning against his car when the fairy showed up. He had forgotten that Niall could conceal his smell and he felt almost disappointed. Nothing smells as good as a fairy._

_"Vampire." The Prince greeted, nodding his head._

_"Fairy." Eric replied on the same tone._

_"Thank you for coming."_

_"Well, for you to be so respectful, it must be something big." Eric was savoring it. The proud fairy prince showing him so much respect. Sweeet!_

_"As I told you over phone, I need a favor." Apparently, Niall wanted to make it quick, not that Eric minded._

_"And as I told you, I am listening."_

_"I need you to take care of someone for me..."_

_"Excuse me ?" Did he hear right ? Was Niall joking ?_

_"I need you to take care of a child for me."_

_"A child ?" Niall had to be joking._

_"Yes, a child."_

_"I'm not a baby-sitter, fairy ! Did you invited me to come here just to fuck with me ?"_

_"I am not...fucking...with you," Niall said with disdain. "This child means a lot to me and her life is currently threatened." So ?_

_"So ?"_

_"So, I want you to protect her. You're the only one I know who is strong enough to protect her should...my...opponent come after her."_

_"Your opponent ?" How interesting._

_"None of your business !" _

_"On the contrary, Niall, if you want me to protect this child, it is my business."_

_"Very well. It is my nephew, Breandan, who is threatening the child. He killed her parents already. And I know he'll come after her, now."_

_"Why ?" That was the thousand dollar question._

_"Why what ?" Niall clearly didn't wanted to answer that._

_"Why did he kill her parents ? Why is he after her ?"_

_"She is..." Niall hesitated. "She is my kin." Well fuck ! "As was her father..."_

_A fairy ? Niall was asking him to look after a fairy ? "She is a fairy ?" _

_"Only an eighth of a fairy, actually. That's the reason why Breandan is after her." Okay, interesting but enough... Business now._

_"How long do you want me to look after her ?"_

_"As long as it takes." Well, isn't that a damn time frame. _

_"Care to be more precise ?"_

_"I'm going to war with Breandan. I don't know how long it will take... This is why I want you to take her with you." Seriously ?_

_"You want me to take a part fairy child to live with me ?" No kidding ?_

_"Yes ! You're the only who can protect her." Well, fuck._

_"And what's in it for me ?"_

_"Anything you want." Well, how promising._

_"Anything ?"_

_"Anything."_

_"I'll keep that in mind. I like the idea of the Fairy Prince owing me a favor. Sounds good." More than good actually. That idea almost made him light-headed._

_"Will you do it ?" Was it...Was it fear he was seeing on Niall's face ?_

_"I will."_

_"Thank you, vampire." And he even got a thank you. How sweet._

_"Where is this child ? How will I recognize her ?"_

_"She's in Shreveport's hospital right now. She knocked her head today and they've decided to keep her for the night. She's 10, blond hair, blue eyes and I believe you'll recognize the smell of my family on her."_

_"Very well. I will retrieve her immediately."_

_"I will clear everything with her grandmother then. I'm in your debt, vampire."_

_Eric smirked. "I won't forget."_

_"There's something else you shouldn't forget, vampire... Should anything happen to her, I will kill you."_

_Eric's smirk got bigger. "Until next time, fairy."_

* * *

Eric entered the floor and looked around him. The smell was different here. Diluted. Children's blood was potent in the air. The walls were painted yellow whereas they were white everywhere else. There were dinosaurs on the windows. And the lights were still on.

The nurse stood up when she spotted him but he quickly glamoured her to stop moving. He started walking the corridor while she stood frozen. No use bothering to look for the room numbers, if Niall was right he'd just have to follow his nose.

And indeed, the prince had been right. He could smell fairy blood in the air... Had he been younger, he couldn't have. This blood would have just smelt really sweet to anybody else. But he wasn't anybody.

He pushed the door slowly and saw a little blond girl asleep. He cocked his head and stared at her. Had he had a heart, it would have broken. She looked so peaceful and innocent laying there. And yet, her life had just been ruined. By forces she couldn't even imagine. She had lost her parents and now he was coming to retrieve her and take her away from...her grandmother, apparently.

Taking an useless deep breath, he reached out and shook her slightly. "Open your eyes, little girl."

Her eyes fluttered before opening and she stare at him without saying a word.

Well, this was it. "My name is Eric. What is yours ?"

"Sookie Stackhouse." She answered in a small voice.

"A pleasure to meet you, Sookie. Come on, stand up." He ordered her before looking around for her clothes.

"Where are we going ?" She asked when he handed her her jacket.

"You are going to come and live with me."

_

* * *

Love it ? Hate it ? Let me know_


	2. Chapter 2

_Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris, I'm just stopping by to play in her sandbox._

_50 reviews for the first chapter ! You guys are awesome !_

_Many, many thanks to my beta __treewitch703_

* * *

The room fell silent after he said those words. The only sound he heard was her breathing that was getting faster and faster and her heart pounding. _Fuck, she is scared of me_, was his first thought. Well, wouldn't things get more complicated ? But he didn't smell any fear in the air... Actually, she was...smiling ? _The Fuck ?_

"I...I...I can't hear you !" she stammered. Then she started bouncing on her hospital bed, "I can't hear you ! I can't hear you ! I can't hear you !"

Was there something wrong with her ? Did she bump her head harder than Niall thought ?

He raised his voice. "I said, You are going to come and live with me."

The girl burst into giggles. _Fuck, it's official, she's damaged. Niall, I will kill you. _Eric stared at her until she finally calm down. "Something funny?" he then asked in his sternest voice.

The girl snorted and started giggling again. _What __**is**__ wrong with this child ?_ Eric sighed and - after deciding that killing her would be a little too extreme to calm her down - waited patiently.

"I heard you," she said at last. "But I can't _hear _you..." _The fuck ?_ Now, he was confused, and he did not care for it for one bit.

"Explain," he demanded.

"I can't hear what you're thinking..." _A psychic ? Niall, you sneaky bastard ! You failed to mention that ! Fuck, you are going to get me killed._

"You can hear what people are thinking ?" He asked, much more calmly than he felt.

She nodded eagerly. "Yes, sir." She cocked her head and looked at him. "But not you. It's the first time I met someone I can't hear."

"I see." He had to know more. "Can you do anything else ?"

"Anything else, sir ?"

"Anything else weird like that."

"Ah, no sir." _A telepath, then. Interesting. Can't she read vampires at all ? _

"How long have you been able to hear people's thoughts?"

"Hmm, always sir." He stared at her. Always ? Fuck, no wonder she seemed so happy not to hear him. She must have heard some serious shit in her life. Suicidal thoughts, sexual memories, death threats. She heard what people thought of her, what people thought of her family. The thoughts of her own family as well. How did her parents react when she first told them ? Did they believed her ? Or did she had to listen them doubt her ? He couldn't figure out which would have been worst.

How could she still sleep so peacefully ? With everything she heard every day, how could she still look so innocent ? Well, except her eyes. Her beautiful blue eyes whose spoke volumes. Those were the eyes of someone old, someone who has seen too much. _Too much, too soon._ All those fleeting thoughts everyone has every day. Concern, anger, lust. Things she had never experienced, things she never knew. She had seen it all. And because of that, her eyes were haunted. Her innocence had been ripped to shreds. By people who didn't even realize it. By people who were supposed to protect her. But how could have they protected her from her own mind. _How could he shield her ?_

Well, at least, she didn't appear to hear him. That was good. Really, really good. Not only because hearing vampires thoughts would be deadly for her. _Hell, he'd probably kill her himself._ But because his mind would probably destroy hers. Eric had killed so many people, he had fought in so many battles that each and every one of his thoughts was crimson. Covered in the blood of those who had fallen at his hands. How could such a little thing bear to discover that he had no mercy ? That he would kill her himself if he had to ? That her life was in the hands of a murderer ?

The squirming little thing brought him out of his thoughts. _Fuck._ How long had he been staring at her ? That was so unlike him. They should have left already ! What was he thinking ? For all he knew, some fucking fairies were on their way to kill the girl and he stood there like an idiot. Act now, think later !

The girl..._Sookie_...was looking at him with her blue eyes wide open. "Sir ?"

"Come on. We have to go ! Quick !" He helped her into her jacket.

"Hmm, where are we going, sir ?"

"I told you, you are going to come and live with me." He was growing restless. Listening attentively for any sign of danger.

Her heartbeat picked up again. "But...But... I don't wanna come with you ! I don't know you !" _Oh hell._

"I don't care. You'll know me soon enough," he told her sternly.

Her eyes widened and he smelled her fear. "I have to stay here ! My gran will come fetch me in the morning ! I can't leave with you !"

Eric sighed and knelt next to the bed she was still sitting on to meet her gaze. Focusing, he forced his will on hers. "Calm down. You are going to calm down and follow me. Everything is going to be alright. Come with me," he told her in a soft voice. The voice of a loving father. The voice of someone who could be trusted. The voice of someone he wasn't.

"I don't want to ! I want my gran !" She replied, and kicked him in the face. _The fuck ?_ His fangs dropped. Eric hadn't felt any pain but he was stunned ! His glamouring didn't work ? Never. Never in his whole life had he failed in his attempt to glamour someone. _What __**was**__ this girl ?_ And she had kicked him ! The fucking brat had kicked him ! He should kill her for that ! He closed his eyes and retracted his fangs. No sense in frightening her any more.

He smelt the salt of her tears as she began to sob. "I want my gran !"

Eric grabbed her arm and began to drag her toward the door. She dug her heels in the floor like a fucking mule. Not that it did any good. "Gran ! Gran ! I want my gran !" Her voice was getting louder and louder and he could hear other heartbeats picking up. She was waking the whole damn floor !

"Be quiet !" He ordered. He then threw her on his shoulder and she shrieked, hitting his back with her small fists and kicking his chest while calling her gran. He rushed past the nurse and in the stairs to the parking lot, stopping only when he reached his car. He dropped her in and slammed the door shut before going behind the wheel and immediately starting the engine.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, he was still driving and she was still crying. He was losing his patience and seriously considering killing her himself to make her shut up. He didn't know humans had so much water in them. Fuck, would she run out of water ? And if she did, would she shrivel up ? Maybe he should get her some... Sighing - he had done more sighing in the last hour than in the last century - he decided to stop at the next gas station. Maybe she was hungry as well. After all, humans are often hungry when they wake up and he had woken her up.

It took him ten more minutes to find a 24/7 station. He parked next to the building and killed the engine. The girl was still crying quietly next to him. This had to stop. He turned toward her. She was huddled against the door, as far as possible from him. Her eyes were puffy and her nose was running and he found himself..._distressed_...confused. He didn't know what to do.

"Child," he called. She didn't looked up. _That had to be the first human who ignored him and that he hadn't killed immediately for that._

"Child !" He tried again, more harshly. This time, she moaned pathetically and he smelt her fear increasing. _Okay, not the best approach._

"Sookie ?" he asked again. She made a little sound. _Well, that's a progress_. "Sookie," he called again. "Look at me," he ordered.

It took her a few minutes but she finally stopped crying and raised her head and wiped her running nose with the back of her hand. _Gross._ "Y...Yes, sir ?" What a polite little thing. Even terrified by him, she didn't forget her manners.

"Are you thirsty ?" He asked her gently. She nodded.

"I thought so," he told her maybe a little bit smugly. "I will go inside and get you some water. Do you need anything else ?"

"I...I can't come with you ?" She asked and he smelled fresh tears in her eyes. _Fuck, not again._

"Will you behave if I let you come with me ?" He asked her sternly.

"Behave, sir ?"

"You will not make a run for it, will you ?" He clarified, hoping he wasn't giving her any ideas.

"Oh. No. No sir. I won't. I promise." She told him weakly.

"Good." He nodded. "Just in case, know that I will catch you if you ever try to run away from me. Is that understood ?"

"Understood, sir."

With that, he got out of the car and waited for her to join him. He walked toward the door as she ran on her little legs to keep up with him.

* * *

The inside of the shop was bright. Too bright. And when he looked down at the girl, he saw her blinking rapidly to adjust her eyes to the light.

The clerk, who had turned to greet them, was gaping at him. He smirked before quickly looking around him to list all the exits. He then counted eight hearts beating, including the girl's : the clerk - a scrawny boy with greasy dark hair and glasses -, an old man - who was looking through some playboys -, a couple - a blond guy, and a red-headed woman who smelled of cheap alcohol and cheap sex -, two girls - who were giggling while looking at him -, and their friend - a boy who was scowling at them. _All clear._

"You may pick up anything you wish," he said to the kid. Her face lit up with a smile for the first time and she hurried down the alley.

He followed her slowly and picked up some tissues on the way._ That will be useful._ He watched her pick up a bottle of water and a chocolate bar before stepping into another aisle. She then stood there, holding two different packages and she seemed unable to choose.

He crouched next to her and took a look at what she was holding. He didn't knew what potato chips were but it sure didn't look like potatoes. _That can't be healthy._

He then looked at the girl and frowned, her body was tense and her eyes were constantly flying from one person to another. _Is she trying to figure out who could help her escaping me ?_

"Can you hear everyone here ?" He asked her softly, hoping to distract her if she was, indeed, thinking about running away from him.

"Yes, sir." She replied, grimacing.

He was curious. "Can you tell me what this woman is thinking ?" he asked, pointing the red-headed female in her mid-thirties who was staring at them.

"She's thinking that you're sexy, sir." Eric smirked. _Like everyone else._ "And that she would love to go..." She frowned and Eric leaned a little closer, fascinated by this little blond thing. "What's 'doggy style' sir ?" _Oh. _Automatically, he opened his mouth to answer..._ No, no, no ! Too young ! Much, much too young for stuff like that !_

"Why do you ask that ?"

"She's thinking that she'd love to go doggy style with you, sir. She thinks that if you're **that **big everywhere, she would feel you..."

"Okay ! Okay ! Okay ! Stop listening to her !" He resisted the urge to cover her ears, surely, it would be useless. _And why would he want to do that ?_

"As you wish sir," the girl said. And then, "So, what's 'doggy style' ?" _Oh, fuck._

_

* * *

Loved it ? Hated it ? Tell me !_


	3. Chapter 3

_You guys are absolutely awesome !_

_Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. I just stop by to play in her sandbox._

_Many, many thanks to my beta, treewitch703_

* * *

"You can hear everyone that clearly ?" he asked, evading her question. _What a nightmare that would be._

Who knew what this little girl had already heard in her life ? Just here, just now, she had heard a woman wanting to have sex with her new protector. How many things that she didn't understand had she heard ? Surely, a lot of thoughts and reflections were too complex to be grasped by a little girl. How did people react when she asked those kind of questions ?

"No sir. Some people think more in images instead," she answered.

"Images ?" _That might very well be even worse! _

"Yes, there are some people, like that lady, who think words. It's like she was talking to me, directly in my mind," she explained, pointing her head. "But other people, like my brother, Jason, think pictures. I see stuff as clearly as if they were in front of my eyes. I call them the 'dreamers'," she said with a little giggle. "That lady is one of the 'talkers'," she then added.

He might, just might, be grateful that she had heard her thoughts instead of seeing them. That would have been even worse. He wondered if it changed with age. Children were more prone to think in images. He guessed. "I see." _Fuck no. _He didn't see anything. He didn't know what to do. For the first time in centuries, the fierce Viking was at loss. Because of a tiny thing with blond hair and blue eyes.

* * *

Ten minutes later, they were back in the car. The clerk had been gaping at him all the time they had been in the shop and it had unnerved him greatly. He was a little impatient to get over with all this. After he had paid for their purchases, he had to resist the urge to throw the girl over his shoulder to get out of here as fast as possible. Fairies were out there, after his little protégée, and until he knew more about the situation, he would feel better in the security of his house. As he drove them there, Sookie ate her chips and her chocolate bar, being very careful not to stain his car._ Such a lovely girl._

She had been pretty calm when they had entered the shop. No screaming, no crying, no kicking. Hopefully, it would stay that way. He had found out that he didn't really appreciate seeing the girl cry. Life wouldn't be fun if she kept that kind of attitude. Well, life wouldn't probably be fun. Period. He hadn't thought over all this yet. _Well, fuck._ Niall had asked him to protect her. That meant that he would have to stay home at night. To watch over her. But what about his meals ? And what about his other needs ? He wasn't used going without fucking. He couldn't, wouldn't bring any woman to his place anymore. It had always been so easy. If he was patient enough and if the girl had the potential to keep him busy for a few hours, he used to bring her to his place, to fuck her in his own bed before glamouring her into forgetting everything about him. If not, well, he just fucked her against the nearest wall. But he couldn't do that anymore. What if she woke up at night while the blood bag was there ? The mere idea of the child meeting one of his feed-and-fuck was almost..._horrifying_...disturbing.

And that feeling, in itself, was very disturbing. When he was human, things were different. Children knew what adults were doing at night. What with living all together in one big room. But now, life was pretty much different. People shied away from sex. It was a taboo, a secret, a shameful thing. Eric didn't understand that. There was nothing wrong with feeling good. But somehow, the idea of this little girl meeting one of his victims and risking her overhearing their thoughts and knowing what he had done was..._horrifying_...bothersome. Her innocence had already been ripped to shreds, he couldn't bring himself to add more to that. And that would already bad enough if, **if** he told the girl that he was a vampire. If he didn't, well, that would be even worse. Not only would she see him fuck someone but she would also see him feed from them. _No way._

And that brought another problem. Should he tell her that he was a vampire ? How would she react ? Would she even believe him ? The only way to know would be to actually tell her. But then what ? If she reacted badly, how could he ever calm things down since he couldn't glamour her ? How could he bring her to trust him if she was terrified of him ? He needed her trust to protect her. He needed to be sure that she wouldn't run away from him during daylight. _Fuck, that was another problem. _Daylight. Someone had to watch over during daylight. But who ? He couldn't trust a mere human. No way. Besides that would cause too many questions. A ten year old girl ? All by herself ? Out of school ?

_And another one ! _What about school ? School must have been a nightmare for her. Hearing all the thoughts of her little classmates. She probably wasn't able to focus. Maybe he should hire a tutor and have her homeschooled. One mind was definitely better than twenty. But wouldn't she feel lonely ? He had read somewhere that children needed company of other children. Did she ? That was hard to say. Maybe a little, but hearing their thoughts was probably overwhelming. He idly wondered if she ever told her classmates that she could read their thoughts. And if she did, how had they reacted ? He knew that children could be cruel. Even more than adults sometimes. Had she suffered not only from their thoughts but from their insults as well ?

He should probably ask her to choose. It was her education after all. But registering her at a school would probably be a little difficult. He was avaible only at night after all. That could be dealt with though. But what if this Breandan found them ? What if he attempted to take her while she was at school ? Or what if they had to leave to area quickly ? Surely that would be painful for her. If she managed to make some friends, despite their thoughts and had to leave in the middle of the night. She would be heartbroken. _She'd probably cry._ Fuck.

Not wanting to linger on the idea of her crying, he turned his thoughts back to his main problem. _Daylight._ How was he supposed to protect her during daylight ? Unless he locked her down with him, but he had already established that it wouldn't be healthy for her. So he'd have to hire someone to stay with her. A human was out of the question. His best option would be a supe. But what kind ? He didn't trust any supes. Well, actually, he didn't trust anyone. Period. But alas, he'd have no other choice. And there again, what kind of supe ? He'd need someone strong enough to protect her should anything happen during the day. He could call in a few favors. He chuckled at that thought. He was sure that his creditors would just love to pay him back by babysitting a little girl. No. No, he'd needed someone who knows how to take care of a child. Someone Sookie would get along with and someone he could trust with her safety.

Because it was his main concern : her safety. _Not his_. He wasn't exactly sure what it all entailed. As far as he knew, Breandan might very well be dead already. If Niall had struck as fast as he used to, his mission might already be complete. Or, that fairy could be after them right now. Or he could never find them. Though that would be...disappointing. He'd love to get his hands on a fairy. No greater high than a fairy's blood after a good fight. But that wasn't the point. How was he supposed to deal with all she needed ?

Fuck. He needed to talk to Niall.

_

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Very short, I know. I'll do my best to write longer chapter, I promise. Review ?_


	4. Chapter 4

_Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. I just stop by to play in her sandbox._

_Many, many thanks to my beta treewitch703!_

* * *

In the fifteen minutes it took Eric to reach his main nest, Sookie had fallen asleep, hugging her knees to herself and resting her head on her arms. After he killed the engine, Eric just stared at the girl for a little while. She was turning his life upside down without even knowing it. So many things to do in order to protect her. He'd have to readjust his whole damn life. And he didn't like it. At all. His world would soon revolve around her. When it should be all about him. What had he agreed to ? _Fuck._

Eric didn't like children. He wasn't good with children. He vaguely remembered having children when he was human. Two boys and a girl. His memories of them were fuzzy. He couldn't remember their names but he believed they looked like him. A lot. If he focused, he could almost summon a picture of them. His sons had his blond hair, his blue eyes and his nose. They had their mother's forehead and mouth, though. His daughter had her mother's dark her - at least, he guessed, since he couldn't recall what his wife looked like - but she had his blue eyes and his mouth. They were a perfect mix of him and his wife - but they weren't born from love, they were born from honor and duty.

He hadn't loved them. Not like fathers loved their children nowadays anyway. Now fathers were there for their children, they took them out to the park, they taught them to ride a bicycle, they bought them ice-cream. He knew, he had seen them. Some men even chose to stay home with their children while their wives went to work! Things were different back then. Life was harder. He wasn't often home and when he was, there were so many things to do. Hunting, fishing, training, fighting. He left his house at dawn only to return at dusk to sleep. He went to bed with his wife only to breed children. After all, as the son of a chieftain, he had to ensure the legacy of his family. When his wife was with child, there wasn't even any reason to come back home anymore. So he knew very little of his children.

And he was fine with that. He knew that as soon as his sons would reached the age of seven, they would begin their training to become warriors. He knew that as soon as his daughter would be able to give life, he'd negotiate for her wedding. And that was all he needed to know. Their mother was the one who knew what they liked to eat, what games they liked to play, how to soothe them when they had a nightmare or if they were hurt. That was her role. And she was good at it. Just like he was good at fighting. Things worked that way back then. And when Aude had died with their newborn, his mother had been the one taking care of his children. After he had mourned his wife and child for the appropriate length of time, he had begun to seek a new wife to take care of his children. And that's when he had been turned.

But he'd have to take care of the girl by himself. And he had no idea where to begin. To be honest, he had only agreed to protect her because he found the idea of the fairy prince owing him a favor exhilarating. The opportunity of maybe drinking fairy's blood was just a sweet bonus. But now, he was beginning to reconsider it. Maybe he had made a mistake. _No. _He'd adapt, just like he had adapted to anything else. After all, one doesn't live as long as he did if he couldn't adapt to every situation.

And with this resolve, he picked up the child and carried her into her new home.

* * *

After laying her on the black leather couch in the living room, he went into the kitchen to ensure that he would not wake her up when he insulted her great-grandfather. He paced around the kitchen marble island while waiting for the goddamn fairy to pick up his phone.

_"Niall Brigant speaking." _Finally !

"Fucking fairy !" _Funny how he immediately felt better after that._

_"Ah, Northman. I was wondering when I'd hear from you. I trust all went well ?" _

"Yes. I retrieved the child and she is safely asleep in my nest."

_"Excellent. I was expecting no less from you. Personally, I took care of her grandmother. Adele now believe that Sookie died with her parents in the flash flood."_

Eric was confused. "A flash flood ? I thought you said your nephew killed them."

_"He did. He has an... affinity with water."_

"I see."

_"Tell me Northman..." _Niall hesitated. _"Wh...What ? What is she like ?"_

Eric arched an eyebrow. "You don't know her ?"

_"No. I've only seen her from afar. I've never met her."_

His confusion increased. "Why ?"

_"My son, his grandfather, prevented me from meeting her, from meeting them. He wanted to protect them. He asked me not to interfere in their lives."_

"So what changed ?"

_"He's dead now."_

"I see. Well, I can't exactly tell you Fairy. I don't know her yet. But from what I've seen, she'll be quite a handful. Especially because of her telepathy, you bastard ! You failed to mention that !" Eric's temper rose.

_"Her telepathy ? She is a telepath ?"_ The fuck ?

"Don't pretend you weren't aware she was a telepath asshole !"

_"No. No, I swear I wasn't aware of this situation."_ He sounded truly surprised.

"What ?"

_"It is not a characteristic of my family. I don't know where that came from ! Are you sure she truly is a telepath ?"_

Eric almost felt insulted."You think I could be fooled by a ten year old ? Of course, I'm sure !"

_"Well, this is most unexpected... If I had known..."_ Niall trailed off wistfully.

"You'd what ?" Eric challenged.

_"Never mind. What's done is done." _Niall sighed.

"There are a few other things I need to discuss with you, fairy."

_"I'm listening."_

"How am I supposed to take care of the child during daylight ?" Eric asked.

_"I can't believe I didn't think of that." _Niall muttered before raising his voice. _"Excellent question, indeed. But I think I have a solution." _Niall hummed before continuing. _"Yes, I know exactly who will take care of her during daylight. I'll send her to you as soon as this conversation is over. Though you'll have to find them a bodyguard. Somebody strong enough to protect them when you can't."_

"Very well. I will have to trust you on this, fairy, since, after all, this is for your great grand-daughter."

"_Indeed. Indeed."_ Niall responded absentmindedly. _"I believe vampire, that it would also be wise to give her your blood. Should anything happen to her, you'd be able to find her, that way."_ Niall suggested.

Eric gritted his teeth. "I had already thought about that. But as you know, I will have to be careful not to give her more than a mouthful. You know that our blood slows aging, among other things. I will have to be careful."

"_Yes, please." _Niall deadpanned. _Asshole !_

"Is there anything else ?" Eric asked, irritated.

_"Not for now. I believe everything's been said. I will stay in touch vampire. And I'll immediately send you Sookie's guardian."_

"Very well. Until next time, fairy."

* * *

After hanging up, Eric went back to his living room where Sookie was still sleeping soundly. He stared at her for a while before sighing loudly. He couldn't believe what he was about to do. He hadn't given his blood to anyone in centuries. Not since Pam. His blood was very powerful and valuable and yet, he was about to give it to a child. An ungrateful little child who had kicked him in the face. _Well, fuck me._

He cradled her in his arms and placed her in his lap, holding her in an almost sitting position. _Wouldn't want her to choke after all. _He bit his wrist and tore the skin open before pressing the wound against the girl's mouth. As his blood slid sluggishly down her throat, as he felt himself taking root in her body, spreading his consciousness to each and every one of her cells, a little humming appeared at the back of his mind. He was a part of her now. _Peace, _his blood whispered. _Sleep. _Marveling at the sensations he was feeling, Eric took his wrist away from her mouth once he deemed she had enough. While he was licking his wrist clean, he heard a knock on his door. Since no-one knew he lived here, he assumed that Niall had found a way to send the child's..._Sookie's..._ guardian by magic. Sniffing the air, he smelt magic and Brigant so he knew he was right.

Still cradling the little blond in his arms, he went to open the door and froze. In front of him stood a young woman. _No, not a woman. A creature._ She had long white hair drifting lightly behind her, occasionally revealing sharp ears. Her bright almond-shaped green eyes were sparkling with delight, probably at the thought of being on earth. Her lips were spread into a wide grin revealing her white teeth. She was wearing a long pale pink dress that hugged her curves perfectly. But the most shocking aspect of her appearance was her skin. Her skin was delicately transparent, making her look vulnerable. Almost as if she would fall apart if the wind blew too strongly. _Beautiful._

Eric couldn't believe his eyes. He had heard of her kind of course, but he hadn't thought they really existed. They were known for their beauty and their grace. Known for their kindness and their docility. They had inspired the most famous artists - musicians, sculptors, painters - through the ages. It was said that they had no notions of good and evil, using their control over the air and wind at their master's wishes. Niall had really outdone himself this time, he thought, by dragging her from the astral plane.

He had sent them a fucking Sylph.

* * *

_So, our little Sookie's babysitter isn't exactly human... Any thoughts on that ? Reviews !_


	5. Chapter 5

_Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. I just stop by to play in her sandbox._

_Many, many thanks to my beta treewitch703!_

* * *

Eric stared at the creature in front of him. She didn't say anything, letting him study her in silence until he made up his mind. Niall had sent him a powerful creature. And yet, she was very fragile too. If what he had heard was true, even though she could be deadly, she'd also be the first one to fall in a fight. The Sylph had a slender figure. Long limbs that were extremely breakable. In essence, since she was an astral creature, she was more vulnerable than a newborn baby. She had no real physical incarnation in their world. She didn't even have a scent, she merely smelled of ozone, which was good. It meant that he wouldn't be tempted by her blood - though he didn't knew if her blood would be edible. Hell, he wasn't even sure she had blood - for all he knew, her veins could be full of magic. Her body was a mere vessel for her elemental nature after all. A too strong grip could break her bones. Too bad. That meant he wouldn't fuck her. He could kill her with just one thrust. _What a pity._

Her eyes sparkled as she greeted him."Good evening, sir." Her voice chimed.

Eric merely raised an eyebrow and curled his body around Sookie in a protective stance. He didn't trust her.

Not one to be deterred by his silence, the Sylph continued. "Master Niall sends his regards and told me that I would be in your service."

He couldn't help it. "Master Niall ?"

"Yes, sir. Master Niall summoned me from the astral plane."

"To tell you that you would be in my service ?"

"Yes, sir. He told me to obey you like I would obey anyone bearing the mark."

Up went the second eyebrow. "The mark ?"

She nodded vigorously. "Yes sir. The Brigant mark." She hesitated a little, her gaze falling on the girl cradled in his arms. "The girl bears it." She then added, nodding toward Sookie.

Eric's eyes traveled over Sookie's slumped form. There was no mark in sight. "I don't see any marks. How do you know that ?"

The Sylph smiled brightly. "I can feel it, sir. My loyalty toward the mark pulls me in."

Eric wasn't sure he liked it. What the fuck did all this mean ? The girl was marked? And the Sylph could feel it? Her loyalty should be assured then. Since she had implied that she was loyal to anyone bearing the mark. That would be good. But did anyone else could feel that mark? Could Breandan feel it? Would it pull him toward them?

"How come you can feel that mark?"

"It's in my nature, sir. I'm an air elemental, after all." She told him, smiling slightly.

Eric wasn't convinced. "So?"

"So, the Brigant family is linked to my element." She replied patiently. "The Air," her voice was hushed when she said this word, full of respect, "chose them a long time ago and I will abide by its will, sir."

"Which means ?"

"Which means that I will do anything I can for those who bear the mark."

"Anything?"

She nodded vigorously. "Absolutely anything." She said passionately. "Master Niall told me that I was to take care of a girl. I was to watch her over during daylight, I was to feed her, and I was to make sure that she had anything she wished and to stay by her side all the time. He told me that I was to die for her if I had to. Now that I know that she bears the mark, I would do it even without his order."

"You would die for her ? Without an order?" Eric asked, a little surprised. It wasn't in vampire's nature to be so selfless.

The Sylph smiled brightly. "Of course. I will do anything for her." She said softly, while gazing at the girl..._Sookie_...reverently. Eric's surprise went up a notch. Standing in front of him was a Sylph - a creature he wasn't even sure existed ten minute ago - and she was talking about her death while smiling brightly. There was no fear in her eyes, no tremor in her voice. She was merely stating a fact. She would die for the girl..._Sookie_...if she had to, and she would do it willingly. _Guess it's good then._

* * *

He took a step back, silently inviting her to come in. Her smile widened as she stepped past the threshold. He went back in his living room and sat down on his couch without even looking over his shoulder. He somehow knew that from now on, wherever the girl would be, the Sylph would be too. He nodded toward the leather armchair in front of him and the Sylph sat down graciously.

"So," he began. "Better get the basics out of the way... What is your name ?"

"Rhea, sir." _How appropriate._ Rhea, the Titaness mother of six of the Olympians. Worshipped as a mother goddess by the Greeks.

"This is Sookie Stackhouse." He said, nodding at the sleeping girl. Rhea smiled fondly. "And my name is Eric Northman." He added, nodding in her direction.

She smiled softly. "I know, sir. Your name is well-known, even in the astral plane."

"Really ?" That was interesting.

"Of course, sir. We... We spend a lot of time watching the human realm, sir. Many of my siblings have been seduced by your beauty."

Eric chuckled. That was good to know. "How about you?" He asked. The opportunity was too good to pass up.

"Me, sir?" She raised an eyebrow. "Even if the tales of your beauty pale in comparison with your real appearance, my devotion lies elsewhere." She replied, gazing adoringly at the girl. _Huh !_

"Speaking of her," Eric began without missing a beat. " Is the mark you told me about somewhere on her body? Or is this merely magical ?"

"It is both, sir. I can feel the magical pull of the mark, but I know that there also is a physical evidence of it."

"Where?" Eric asked curiously.

"On the small of her back, sir."

Not willing to wake her up, Eric slightly shifted Sookie in his arms and raised her t-shirt. There, just above the waistline of her pants, he saw it. A small triangle pointing upward with an horizontal line across it. The figure looked liked a faded scar. Without his vampire's sight, he was even sure he would have noticed it. He ran his fingers lightly on it and felt the faintest swelling. _Well, fuck me._

"Does anyone else feels the pull of the mark?" He asked her. Could Breandan use it to find them?

"Another Sylph could, sir." Rhea answered calmly.

"Anyone else?" He insisted. "Rhea, did Niall tell you that I was protecting the girl?"

"Yes, sir, Master told me that you had agreed to become Sookie's protector. He told me that we were to remain by your side and under your protection, no matter what. And no, no-one else could feel the pull. I can because Air," once again, a hushed tone to speak this word, "is my element. The fairy, Breandan, is aligned with Water."

Eric nodded. "Good."

* * *

A faint stir of the girl in his arms took his attention away from the Sylph. He looked down and watched as her eyelids fluttered open. _Awareness_, his blood whispered. From the corner of his eyes, he saw the Sylph leaning forward eagerly. When the child saw him, her eyes widened. _Panic._ And then, he smelt it. Her tears. _Despair._

"Oh no," she cried. "No, no, no. I thought it was just a dream. I want my Gran." Her voice rose with each words. _Fuck ! Not again !_ "No, no, no," she chanted while tears rolled down on her cheeks. "I want to go home. Please. Please. I want to go home." She began thrashing in his arms.

Eric tightened his grip on her. "You can't, child." He told her sternly. "You can't go home." She kept trying to fight him off, kicking and crying. "This is your home, now."

"NO! I don't wanna stay here. I don't know you. Please, let me go home," she begged. "I won't say anything to anyone. I just want to go home." Her heart was trying to break out of her chest by now. "Please," she begged desperately. "Don't hurt me. I want to go home."

Eric looked at the Sylph. He was completely at loss. He felt her panic and her despair as if it were his own, but he didn't knew what to do to soothe her. Her heart was beating faster and faster and her breathing was getting more and more shallow. And yet, she was still trying to fight him off.

The Sylph was helplessly looking at them. The little girl removed from her home and forced into a new life without her family and the vampire who had sworn to protect her but who hadn't the faintest idea on how to begin. Her heart was aching. She couldn't bear to see Sookie suffers like this. But she didn't knew what to do. Her loyalty ordered her to find a way to help Sookie, to soothe her. But no matter what she did, Sookie had to accept this new life. Nothing would change as long as she didn't accepted it.

"Let me go," Sookie cried. "Please, please. Let me go. I don't want it. I want my Gran. Please."

Eric was holding the girl in his arms, desperately trying to find a way to soothe her. Her cries tore the silence of his house. Her pleas, her sobs were unnerving him and he was starting to get worried. The girl was panting by now and he could tell that the lack of oxygen was beginning to make her light-headed. She had to calm down. She had to breathe. He growled in frustration and realized too late that he just made the things worse. The kid began to hyperventilate and he looked over at the Sylph with slightly panicked eyes.

He saw her close her eyes and take a deep breath. And then he felt it, like a tingling at the base of his spine. _Magic._ The sylph had stopped moving, she had stopped breathing and the smell of ozone had became more potent around her. Their hair crackled with static electricity and he felt the child shudder. A few seconds later, the sylph opened her eyes again - he idly noticed that they were glowing - and exhaled softly.

A soft breeze swirled around Eric who was still cradling Sookie in his arms and a faint familiar scent drifted into the room. Eric searched his memories as he sniffed deeply. _Ylang-ylang. _Sookie's inhaled deeply and her frantic heartbeat and breathing slowed down. Another faint scent drifted in the air, and once again, he sniffed deeply. _Orange blossom__._ He then watched with fascination as Sookie's eyelids began to droop. Less than a minute later, she was soundly asleep again.

_

* * *

So, review ? Please !_


	6. Chapter 6

_Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. I just stop by to play in her sandbox._

_Many, many thanks to my beta treewitch703!_

* * *

Staring at the sleeping girl in his arms, Eric arched an eyebrow. "Did you do that to her?"

The Sylph nodded. "Yes, sir. No oxygen was reaching her lungs. I could feel it."

Up went his second eyebrow. "You could feel it?"

"Yes sir. I can feel Air passing through every human's body." She explained. "Because of her panic, she couldn't breathe anymore so I had to help her."

"I see. This is an interesting power you have here." He complimented. And then another thought struck him. From all he had gathered from her... "When you said you had to...?"

"I litterally had to, sir." She confirmed. "It's a compulsion. I have to do everything to help her and to take care of her. I will also have to do anything she asks me to."

Eric frowned. "Anything? Rhea, she'll want to go back to her family. I can't let her do that! If she demands it from you..."

"Do not worry, sir." Rhea interrupted him quickly. Eric's frown deepened. He didn't like that. But since he wasn't willing to disturb the sleeping girl in his arms..._so not ready for fresh tears..._he'd let it pass...for once. "That is the only order Master gave me I'll obey no matter what."

Eric sighed. "Good. Good." He muttered absentmindely.

"If I may ask, sir..." Rhea began, somewhat shyly. Eric cocked an eyebrow and looked at her expectantly. "How will you manage to convince her that we have to stay with you?"

Eric sighed _again._ "Quite frankly, right now, I have no idea. If only I could get her to listen to me without crying. I could try and explain a few things to her. But as you've noticed, she has a tendancy to cry when she's with me. Actually, I've only seen her calm once." He told her.

"If I may, sir," Rhea shook her head disbielivingly. "It goes against my very nature to suggest that, but why don't you try to glamour her?"

Eric's fangs clicked in place with his irritation. " Oh, why didn't I think of that? After all, it's not like I've been using glamour for a thousand years!" He snapped. "Do you think I'm stupid, Sylph? Don't you believe I would have thought of that myself?"

Rhea dropped her eyes to her lap. "I'm sorry sir. I didn't mean to offend you. I was just merely suggesting it. Of course I should have known that a vampire as old and as powerful as you would have thought of it already. I apologize for the insult."

Good, Eric thought grimly. At least, she knew her place and showed the right amount of respect. "The girl seems to be immune to my glamour," he told her offhandely. If she was going to work for him, she should have all the information necessary.

"Really, sir? But that's wonderful!" Rhea exclaimed. Eric quircked an eyebrow and she quickly explained. "If the glamour of a vampire as old and as powerful as you doesn't work, I can only suppose that no other glamour will work on her."

"Indeed." Eric nodded. That was the silver lining to that particular cloud. "You seem really glad about that." He then added.

Rhea bobbed her head enthusiastically. "Of course. No offense, sir, but I find the thought of anyone being able to control her most distressing. She is a creation of the Air. She ought to be free like a bird, like the wind swirling in the trees. I would hate to see her bend to anyone's will. To see her spirit broken."

_So would I_, Eric almost answered. But then, he frowned, completely confused. _The fuck ?_ Where did that thought come from ? She was an ungrateful little brat who had done nothing but weep and call for her Gran ever since he had retrieved her. She even had kicked him. Him ! Life would be so much easier if he could simply glamour her. _But duller_, his mind replied. His eyes fell on the sleeping girl in his arms. _True enough_. At least, he could be sure that life would be interesting as long as she was around. She would definitely keep him on his toes. That was a good thing. He had seen too many 'old' vampires grow weary of their lives. So bored that they actually chose to put an end to their misery by meeting the sun. _Pathetic._ Not that it would ever happen to him. Everybody he knew agreed that he had such a 'joie de vivre' ;but life was boring for him as well. Feed and Fuck. _And Fuck. And Fuck._ Not to forget to throw some business in the mix. But that was beyond the point. Everything was always the same for him but with this little girl around, life was definitely taking an unexpected turn.

* * *

It tore at him to have to ask , but he had came to the conclusion that he couldn't do otherwise. "Rhea," He began, cringing. "Could you help me ?"

The Sylph smiled brightly. "Of course, sir. Anything for you, sir."

"Anything ?" He smirked, arching an amused eyebrow. When she didn't answered his bait, he continued. "For me ?" Now he was more skeptical.

Rhea nodded. "Yes sir. Since you are her protector, I am bound to obey you as well. And I will as long as you have her best interests at heart." _Interesting_. "Though her wishes and needs, other than her will to go home, will always have my full attention first." Eric surely didn't like it. He was definitely used to be the top dog. But he could put up with that, what with her loyalty toward the Brigant mark and all. At least he guessed. It would take some adjustment. But there again, his whole life would have to be adjusted now that he had promised to do this favor for Niall.

"Do you think you would be able to use your little trick to keep her calm long enough for me to explain a few things to her ?"

The sylph nodded enthusiastically. "Of course, sir." She immediately closed her eyes and took a deep breath. He smelled it again. _Ozone._ And the tingle reappeared at the base of his spine. She was gathering her power.

Eric sighed. _Hope it'll work,_ he thought, not ready to face another round of tears and he shook the girl slightly. "Child," he called softly. She frowned and muttered something along the lines of 'sleepy, Jason, potty under bed, hush'. He smirked and shook her again. "Child," He called again. She stirred this time. _Awareness,_ his blood whispered again. He immediately smelled Ylang Ylang in the air and he watched as Sookie opened her eyes. This time, she didn't start bawling immediately and instead she looked at him quite calmly. He almost sighed in relief. Almost.

"I need to talk to you, child." He told her. "And I need you to listen to me really carefully. Can you do that ?" He asked her soflty.

She nodded sadly. "Yes sir, I can do that."

"Good. Because what I'm about to tell you is really important." He took a deep uneeded breath. "I know that the last few days had been quite awful for you," he told her softly. And she nodded, her eyes filling with tears. "I know you want to go home with your Gran, but you can't, child."

"Wha... ? But...why ?" She stammered. "My Gran doesn't want me ?"

Rhea looked like her heart just broke and she couldn't help but interfere. "Of course, she does, but..." She looked up at Eric and shrugged helplessly, unsure of what to tell to the girl.

"But, you have to remain here, child. Someone wants to hurt you."

"Hurt me, sir ?" Sookie asked, her eyes widenning. _Fear,_ his blood whispered.

He nodded seriously. "Yes, I am sorry to tell you that, but your parents didn't die in an accident..."

She shook her head. "No, no, no. They did. They died in a flash flood a few days ago." _Sorrow_, his blood whispered as she began to rock back and forth on his laps.

"Child..." Eric began. Fuck, he'd never said that before. "Your parents were murdered." A breeze swirled around them and the floral scent became more potent. Rhea was doing her best to keep her calm.

"No, no, no." She whispered. _Denial. _"You're lying. Why are lying to me ?" Tears began to roll down on her cheeks. It was different this time. _Despair._ There was no sobs, no screams. Just tears, pouring endlessly from her eyes. "Why are you lying ?"

Eric cringed. "I'm not lying, child. Your parents have been killed. And the person who killed them is after you. I have been asked to protect you and that's why you're here with me." Eric explained her. "I will protect you. Do you understand ?"

Sookie didn't answer. Her body was wracked by silent sobs and she was shaking in his arms. As Eric looked at her, he felt something he'd never felt before. _Pity._ She was only ten. She was just a child. And she had already seen too much. Her mind was invaded day after day by other people's thoughts. And yet, she managed to keep madness at bay. Not only that but she had just lost her parents a few days ago. And now, she had also been removed from her house and from the rest of her family. She was in an unknown place with an unknown man. And that man..._he_... had just told her that her parents had actually been murdered and that her life was threatened as well. No child should have to go through this. _And no child would probably be able to remain unscattered after that..._

"Do you understand, child ?" He asked her gently, or as gently as he could.

"Sookie," she muttered.

"What ?" He asked, confused. Why did she tell him her name ?

"Sookie," she repeated.

"I heard you the first time, child." He told her, more and more confused. _The fuck ?_

He watched as blood pooled in her cheeks and his blood whispered, _Anger._ She took a deep breath, and..."MY NAME IS SOOKIE !" She yelled.

_

* * *

Poor Sookie ! Want more ? Review !_


	7. Chapter 7

_Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. I just stop by to play in her sandbox._

_Many, many thanks to my beta treewitch703!_

* * *

He watched her calmly, unfazed by her irritation. "You will not raise your voice with me, _child_." He told her sternly. And a smirk tugged his lips when he saw her huff. _Brat. _"Now tell me," he continued, keeping his voice stern and gaze level. "Do you understand?"

She searched for words before suddenly deflating. "I...I... No, I don't, sir." She stammered, as more tears rolled down on her cheeks. "Why me? What have I done? I haven't done anything wrong."

Once again, Rhea's power flared and swirled around them. The Sylph seemed as heartbroken as Sookie was. Apparently her emotions were directly connected to the child's. She couldn't be happy if Sookie wasn't happy. He supposed that was logical since she seemed devoted to Sookie's happiness.

"I know, chi...Sookie." Eric told her as gently as he could. "I know you didn't deserve this. But this is your life now. I promise you I will protect you though."

"But why, sir? Why do I have to be protected? What have I done wrong?"

Eric hesitated. Should he tell her the truth? Wasn't she too young? And how could he explain everything to her? 'You're a fairy, I'm a vampire, Rhea's a Sylph. A fairy wants to kill you. Oh, and the Gran you want to see so much now believes you're dead' Yeah, great.

Sighing deeply, he answered, "You haven't done anything wrong, child. You're just a victim in a conflict that is beyond us."_ And that doesn't concern me_, he almost added. The war was between fairies, and vampires shouldn't have been involved. But he was involved. He got involved the instant he chose to do this favor for Niall.

"But why, sir?" Sookie insisted.

"Because..." Eric hesitated. Should he really tell her the truth? Was she strong enough to hear the truth? Eric thought she'd be. After all, with her telepathy, she had heard a lot of unwanted truth. And she'd managed to remain a chlid and keep a part of her innocence. Eric just hoped she could cope with the truth about herself.

"Tell me," Sookie begged.

"You have fairy blood," Rhea blurted out before slapping her hand over her mouth. Her eyes were wide and panicked.

"What?" Sookie screeched and Eric roared in frustration. He jumped to his feet and grabbed Rhea by the throat. Sookie shrieked in terror and curled up on the couch.

"Can't keep your fucking mouth shut?" Eric snarled, baring his fangs, making sure his back was turned to Sookie.

"I...I...I'm sorry, sir." Rhea stammered. "She wanted answers, and when she wants something..."

"Right." Eric interrupted, irritated. "You have to give it to her."

Rhea nodded tensely. "Yes sir. It's a compulsion."

"Wonderful," Eric muttered, glaring at Rhea. In his irritation, Eric had ignored what his blood was telling him, but now, it was almost as if it was screaming at him. _Terror._ He looked over his shoulder and groaned.

Sookie was curled up on the end of the couch, as far as she could get from him, trying to make herself as small as possible. She was gasping, her nose was running and she was shaking violently. Eric stepped toward her and Sookie shrieked. He held his hands in front of him in an universal sign of peace - but apparently, Sookie didn't speak sign language, Eric thought, when she didn't calm down.

He groaned again. "Rhea, didn't I ask you to do something ?"

Rhea looked down and blushed. Well, at least, Eric now knew that she actually had blood running through her veins."I'm sorry, sir," she said. "I lost my concentration when you choked me." She added snippily.

Eric growled. "Well, get it back. She's beginning to hyperventilate again." Eric nodded toward Sookie who was gasping and sobbing.

Rhea's eyes glowed and a breeze swirled around Sookie. She took big gulping breath and slowly stopped shaking. "Wha...Wha...What did you said I had?" She stammered.

Eric sighed. So not the way he had planned to explain everything to her but it wasn't like he had any choice... He couldn't glamour her after all. But once again, what should he tell her? Everything? Should he tell her that he was a vampire and that Rhea was a Sylph? Wouldn't it scare her off? Would she trust him if she knew he was a vampire? He needed her trust to protect her. He had to be sure that she wouldn't try to run away from him. Should he tell her he was a vampire and risk her terror? Or not tell her and risking losing any trust he might have earn when she'd found out later?

"Fairy blood." Rhea replied and Eric growled again. _Fucking Sylph._

"Like Tinkerbell?" Sookie asked, and Eric thought she might be mocking them but her blue eyes were wide open and staring at him with wonder.

"Tinkerbell?" He asked, perplexed. He didn't know anyone whose name was Tinkerbell.

"Ya know," She told him. "Peter Pan's friend?"

"Peter Pan?" He looked toward Rhea who seemed to be as lost as him.

Sookie rolled her eyes. "Ya know, the boy who never grow up?" _A vampire?_

"I don't know this...Peter Pan." Eric said with distate. "But I don't think Tinkerbell has anything to do with real fairies...Which you are." He said, deciding to be as forward as possible.

"A fairy? A real fairy?" Sookie asked and he felt her start to panic again.

"Rhea!" He said sharply. She focused on Sookie and the soothing scent became more potent in the room. When Sookie calmed down, he went back to his explanation. "An eighth of a fairy actually. One of your ancestors was a fairy and so you have a little fairy blood." He told her, remaining purposefully vague. No need to tell her that he suspected that her Gran was the one who had mingled with fairies. The blood was coming from her generation; how else would Niall be familiar enough with her to know her name if she wasn't the one who had been involved with his son. Niall wasn't really fond of humans. From the corner of his eye, he saw Rhea straining to keep Sookie calm and collected.

Sookie frowned in concentration and thought about it. "Is this why I can hear people's thoughts?" She then asked.

Eric shook his head. "Actually, no. Telepathy is not a fairy trait. I don't know why you can hear thoughts but it has nothing to do with your fairy blood." And that brought another interesting question. Where did her telepathy came from? Was it a mere human quirk? A malfunction of her brain? Or was Sookie something else? Maybe one of the 'others'?

Sookie scrunched up her face. "And why can't I hear your thoughts? And the woman's thoughts?" She asked, looking toward Rhea before quickly averting her eyes.

Rhea smiled excitedly to Sookie. "Hi Sookie. My name is Rhea. I'm here to take care of you."

Sookie looked carefully at her. "Okay." She shrugged. "Why can't I hear your thoughts?" She asked curiously.

"You can't?" Eric asked with interest. Could she only hear humans? He knew she didn't hear vampires thanks to her excited reaction when he had retrieved her at the hospital. So did that mean that she couldn't hear any supes? But there again, Rhea wasn't exactly a regular supe either. He'd have to find a way to experiment with her gift. But he'd have to be careful not to attract attention to her.

"No sir," Sookie replied, shaking her head. "I just hear a humming sound in her head, like a lullaby. It's actually kinda nice." Rhea smiled softly. "But I don't get any thoughts or pictures." She explained. "And I can't hear you at all, sir." Sookie then added after a beat. "Why don't I hear you at all?" She asked. "What are you?"

Rhea opened her mouth to answer the question and Eric glared at her, willing her to keep her mouth shut. He had to give her an explanation.

"Rhea, here," he began, nodding toward the creature, "is a Sylph."

Sookie frowned. "I don't know what that means, sir. What is a Sylph ?"

"It's a magical creature," Eric explained and Rhea's powers flared again. "She came from a whole other world. And she's here to take care of you during daylight." He told her.

"Daylight, sir?" She seemed to take it pretty well.

"Yes," Eric nodded. "I won't be around during daylight."

Sookie frowned, "Why? Do you have to work, sir?"

Eric actually burst out laughing. He didn't know which was the funniest: him working or him around during daylight.

Sookie pouted. "Why are you laughing?" She asked. "Are you making fun of me?"

Eric took a deep breath. "No, chi...Sookie." This was it. "I'm a vampire."

_

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Ah ! He told her. How do you think she'll react ? Reviews_


	8. Chapter 8

_Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. I just stop by to play in her sandbox._

_Many, many thanks to my beta treewitch703!_

_There is chapter 8, a little earlier than usual !_

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"A what, sir?" Sookie asked, looking at him with wide eyes. She dried her cheeks with the sleeves of her shirt and wiped her nose with the back of her hand.

Eric sat next to her and turned his body to face her. "A vampire, Sookie," He told her. "I'm a vampire."

Sookie took a deep breath and Eric watched her processing what he just told her. That was it, make it or break it, he thought, either she'd accept it or she'd try to run away from him. He tensed, prepared to stop her if she tried to run , hoping she wouldn't since it would unleash his instincts. But he had to be prepared to any reaction. He expected more tears, maybe some screams. He was prepared to feel her terror and to hear her begging for her life. However, he did not expect to see her merely shrugging and answering, "Okay."

"Okay?" He asked, astonished. "Okay?"

Sookie shrugged again, "Yes, okay."

Eric had not anticipated that. He probed his blood to try and see what she was really feeling and he felt...nothing. Absolutely nothing. She was numb. He looked over at Rhea and saw that she was as astonished as he was.

"Do you know what vampires are, Sookie?" Rhea asked, frowning. Eric could tell that Rhea didn't understand the lack of reaction. Whether it was because she was worried by Sookie's apparent numbness or because she didn't like the fact that she seemed to have no problems with vampires, he couldn't tell.

"Yes, like Count Dracula, right?" Sookie replied calmly, looking at Rhea. Eric smiled when he heard her mention the Count. He was glad that she had heard about this most venerable vampire. "They drink blood and sleep in coffins, right?"

Rhea nodded and prodded, "Aren't you afraid of that ?"

Sookie turned around to look at Eric, "Are you going to hurt me?"

Eric shook his head and smiled what he hoped to be a reassuring smile. "No."

"Are you going to drink my blood?"

"I'm not planning to."_ Not for now anyway._ Though he had to admit that Sookie smelt good. Not like a fairy - or she'd already be dead but her scent was really sweet - sweeter than any other human he'd ever smelled.

"See ?" Sookie asked, glancing at Rhea again. "He just said he won't hurt me and he won't drink my blood so... Okay." She told the Sylph matter-of-factly. "Besides, he kept saying he'd protect me ever since I met him." She added serenely.

Eric was astonished. What was this girl? Five minutes ago, she had been weeping and now she was calmly talking with them. He probed his blood again and still felt nothing. It was almost as if she had shut herself down. Eric could only suppose that it wasn't the first time she had to do that. She had probably been overwhelmed by all the thoughts she heard more than once before and he guessed that was one way to cope with this. A lot of people did that – they detached themselves from their emotions to deal with difficult situations. But he didn't know whether to be impressed or sad at the realization that she was able to do that at such a tender age. .

But he didn't want to dwell on that. He didn't know how long Sookie would be calm and he wanted to take this opportunity to talk with her peacefully before she started to weep again. She might even begin to panic over the fact that he was a vampire when her cool facade crumbled. So it would be better to quickly address any fear she had right now.

The best way to do that would probably be to let her ask him any questions she might have. So he simply offered her the opportunity to do so. "So, Sookie, before we address the other issues we have, do you have any questions for me or Rhea?"

Sookie nodded. "Do you have fangs?" She asked him eagerly.

Eric fought back a little smile. Her eagerness was nicer than her tears. _Much, much nicer._ But he also felt a little uncomfortable at the thought of answering her questions. He was a vampire and he had spent the last thousand years making sure that no one realized that. It was deeply ingrained in him to hide his true nature. Lurking in shadows, finding subterfuges to pass for a human was his custom. So answering frankly any questions she might have would prove to be a strain for him. But it was necessary to gain her trust, so he'd have to do it. Therefore, he nodded.

"Can I see them?" Sookie asked excitedly.

Eric couldn't help but smirk. He found her excitement..._endearing._ He grinned at her and willed his fangs to drop. Sookie gasped and Eric waited patiently to see her reaction. Would she fear him now? Apparently not, he decided, when she leaned in closer to examine his fangs. Any fear she might've felt was apparently overcome by her curiosity. She raised her hand, almost as if to touch them before stopping herself.

Eric gave her a sly smile. "Go ahead. You can touch them. I promise I won't bite," He told her with a wink and Sookie giggled. Eric found himself unexpectedly..._pleased_...by that sound. _Better giggles than sobs._

Sookie raised her hand again and ran her finger lightly over his right fang and Eric bit back a purr. Fangs were the most sensitive part of any vampire's body. From the corner of his eye, he saw Rhea tense and he idly wondered if she was preparing herself to attack him. He guessed she feared he might lose his control and bite the child. He felt insulted, he was over a thousand years old and his self-control was excellent. And even if he did lose control, there wasn't anything she could do about it. One hit and she'd be dead. And Eric knew that she was aware of it. So she might not be preparing herself to attack him but to snatch Sookie instead. Though that would be as dumb as attacking him. He never liked to have his prey yanked away from him. And should anything like that happen, it would probably end in a bloodbath. The child and the Sylph would perish at his hands and Niall would probably try to have his head for that. _So not an option._

Unaware of his inner musing, Sookie continued her exploration and placed her finger at the tip of his fang. Because of the heat of her finger and the smell of her blood that pulsed under his fang, it took him all his will power not to snap his teeth. "Careful," He mumbled. "They're sharp."

"Oh!" Sookie exclaimed, placing her hands back on her laps. "Sorry, sir."

Eric retracted his fangs and gave her a crooked smile. "Nothing to be sorry about."

Sookie smiled at him. "Thank you, sir."

"For what?" He asked, surprised.

Sookie's smile turned into a grin. "For letting me touch your fangs, sir."

Eric chuckled. "You're welcome." Across from her, Rhea relaxed and leaned back into the armchair with a soft smile on her face. He almost didn't feel her magic anymore - and the soothing scent that had swirled around them earlier was now really faint - but he knew she was ready to soothe Sookie at the first sign of distress. That really pleased Eric. He knew that Sookie was beginning to cope with the situation.

He prodded his blood again to see if she was still so numb. He was almost..._happy_... to see that it wasn't the case anymore. Sookie was filled with awe - because of his fangs he supposed - and curiosity. Nothing like acceptance or peace but it was better than nothing. He knew it would take her some time to get used to her new life and he had all the time in the world. "Any other questions ?" He asked Sookie, arching an eyebrow.

The child nodded eagerly. "Do you truly sleep in a coffin ?"

Eric chuckled. "No, I sleep in a bed, just like you." He pondered his answer for a minute and decided that for now, complete honesty would be the best policy. "But I have slept in a coffin before. And I'll do it again if I have to."

Sookie frowned. "Why would you have to, sir ?"

"It could be safer for me to sleep in a coffin sometimes though I don't see it happening anytime soon."

Sookie nodded thoughtfully. "So you really sleep during daylight?"

"Yes," Eric answered. "I have a secret chamber in the house."

"A secret chamber ?" Sookie asked, perplexed. "Why is it a secret ?"

"Because I can't defend myself during daylight and I have to be hidden from the sun." He explained her reluctantly. He didn't really appreciate the mention of any weakness he might have. _Stronger than a bear, faster than a car and flying like a bird, and yet, a little sunlight or a shard of wood could kill him. Irritating._

"So all the things people say about vampires are true?" She mused.

Eric chuckled. It always amused him to see his victims cross themselves when they realized he was a vampire. All that bullshit vampires had spread around for years was still useful. "No. Not everything. Holy water, crosses and garlic are useless against us." He told her. "We can't enter in a house without being invited first though. But we do have a reflection and we will appear in a picture." He explained.

Sookie nodded. "I see."

Eric looked at the child thoughtfully. "Won't you ask me what I eat?" He couldn't tell if she had forgotten to mention that or if she purposely had not asked that question but it was essential. "Don't you want to know?"

Sookie grimaced. "Blood?" She asked carefully.

_

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There you go ! Loved it ? Hated it ? Reviews !_

_Oh, and guys, I'll post a new story in a day or two, as soon as my beta will have worked her magic on it. Check it please._


	9. Chapter 9

_Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. I just stop by to play in her sandbox._

_Many, many thanks to my beta treewitch703!_

* * *

"Yes. I drink blood." He confirmed.

"Human blood, sir?" Sookie asked in a small voice

"Yes, human blood." Eric told her, expecting once again to feel fear. But all he felt was a slight disgust and he looked at Sookie's scrunched up nose with an amused grin.

"Ewww." She shuddered. "Gross."

_Gross? Gross? What was this girl?_ Eric chuckled at her reaction until he actually felt a frisson of fear in his blood. _Fuck. She just realized what it meant._

"Do you kill the people you drink blood from?" Sookie asked meekly. She had paled noticeably and Rhea's power was beginning to flare again.

"No. I'm really old so I don't need a lot a blood to survive. I barely need a mouthful or two." He explained her. "And then I just glamor my vic...donors. My donors." He quickly corrected himself. _Probably better get used to calling them donors instead of victims or blood bags._ He then watched as Sookie's face became pensive. "What is it?" He asked, arching an eyebrow quizzically.

"What's glamor, sir?" She asked. _Good girl. She doesn't miss anything._

"It's a kind of hypnosis." He told her, but judging from her confused face, Eric could tell she didn't understand. "I make them forget that I bit them. I take away their memories of me."

"Does it hurt?" She questioned in a slightly frightened voice.

"Does what hurt?" Eric replied. "The bite or the glamoring?" _Better address any fear she might have right away. I definitely don't need her panicking later because I haven't been clear enough._

"Both, sir?" Sookie answered, nervously avoiding his eyes. Eric could tell she was afraid of what the answer would be.

"No. None of them hurt." He soothed her. "Of course, my bite could be painful if I wanted it to but I usually make sure it's really nice for my vic...donors."_ Really, really nice. Orgasmic nice._ "As for the glamoring, did you feel any pain earlier at the hospital?" _Might as well tell her what she's able to do._

_Confusion,_ his blood whispered. "At the hospital, sir?" Sookie queried, her confusion plain on her face. "Why would I...Ooooh." He saw understanding dawn on her face. _Smart girl._ "You did it to me?" _Anger, _his blood sang and Eric had to bite back a laugh. _What a delightful little thing._ "You have no right to do that!" Her heartbeat increased again. "That's not fair! That's...that's..." She was searching for words and Eric quickly took this opportunity to soothe her.

Raising his hands in front of him, he spoke calmly. "Sookie, Sookie, calm down. I didn't do it." Sookie huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, shooting him a suspicious glare. Once again, Eric had to bite back a laugh. She looked like an angry little kitten. All her fear was gone, replaced by indignation and anger. _Simply delightful. _ "No really. I didn't." He assured her. "I tried but it didn't work on you. You..." All his good humor vanished when he remembered what had happened at the hospital. _Brat. _"You kicked me, remember?"

During this conversation, he had almost forgotten that Rhea was there, except for her powers that flared each time he broached a sensitive subject with Sookie. She was there, in the background, he knew it - he was conscious of every breath she took, every time she shifted in her seat - but since she wasn't a threat to him and wasn't relevant to the conversation, he simply ignored her. But he turned his attention back to her when he heard her laugh with delight. He didn't need to be a genius to understand that she was mocking him._ Bitch._ "Something funny, Sylph?" He asked, baring his fangs that had dropped in irritation. He heard Sookie gasp and once again, his blood whispered, _awe._

Rhea immediately tried to calm down, to take control over her giggles. "I'm sorry, sir." She said quickly. "I'm sorry." She took a deep breath. "Did you just say she kicked you?"

Sookie giggled as well, "Yeah, in the nose." Rhea snorted and Eric hissed. "I didn't meant to," Sookie quickly apologized. "But he was saying all those weird stuff about going with him and all. And I didn't want to..." She shrugged. "So I kicked him." She giggled again.

Eric took a deep breath and tried to control his irritation. _Can't kill them. Can't kill them. You promised. _Right, he had promised Niall that he would protect the child. Even with his life. And he would. _But the Sylph wasn't a part of the deal. _Maybe not but she was to help him taking care of the girl during daylight. _In theory._ Besides he'd lose all the progress he'd made with the child if he killed the fucking Sylph in front of her. "Are you done making fun of me?" He asked in an icy tone, glaring at Rhea. He heard Sookie swallow audibly and felt the _fear_ coursing through her veins. Smoothing his features, he turned toward her. "So you do remember?"

She nodded but didn't say a word. _Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. _With a chill lingering in his voice, he softly continued as if they'd never been interrupted. "I was trying to convince you to come with me. But it didn't work, did it?" Sookie shook her head quickly. "You didn't even feel it, did you?" Sookie bit her lips, and thought about it before shaking her head again. "See?" He asked, satisfied. _Good girl._

Sookie remained silent for a minute, mulling over all she'd learn. "Have you ever met anyone else who can't be gla...glam..." She then asked, stumbling on the unfamiliar word.

"Glamored?" Eric supplied.

She nodded and Eric shook his head. "Well, no. Never. My glamor has always been effective. You need to understand that the older the vampire gets, the more powerful he is." He explained her. "I'm quite old," He then went on, when Sookie looked at him with confusion. "And my powers have grown with me. So it should have been no trouble at all for me to glamor you. And I only received a kick for my efforts," He told her with a strained smile to show her he wasn't mad at her. _Better put her fears at ease._

"Do you think..." She began, before interrupting herself and biting her lips.

"Do I think what?" He asked, quite curious to hear what would come out of her mouth. So far Eric had been quite surprised by this child . She hadn't reacted like he expected her to once after he had retrieved her and he found her fascinating. She was really smart _when she was calm enough to think._ She listened carefully to everything he said and asked good questions at the right moment. That was a valuable ability. He watched her silently as she carefully gathered her thoughts.

"Do you think it is because I can read people's minds?" She asked softly.

Eric barely thought about it before answering. "More than probably." That certainly was the most obvious and logical reason. Since she could enter any mind freely, she probably unconsciously shielded hers from outside interference.

"Is that..." She continued, before interrupting herself, biting her lip in hesitation again.

"Yes?" Eric encouraged. She seemed oddly nervous talking about her telepathy. From what Eric had seen, _when she wasn't weeping__,_ Sookie was quite confident and brave. _Brave enough to kick a vampire in the face._ She thought quickly and was good at analyzing what she was told. But she seemed unsure of herself where her gift was concerned.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing, sir ?" She asked meekly._ Now, that was the billion dollar question._ On one hand, being able to glamor her would certainly come in handy. _Just to make her stop crying._ Besides, other vampires would probably kill her if they ever found out that she couldn't be glamored. Vampire were merciless. That was a fact. Had Eric met the girl before promising to Niall that he would take care of her and found out what he knew now, he'd have kill her. Because she couldn't be glamored. Because that meant she was a potential threat to his kind. If any other vampires ever found out she couldn't be glamored, they'd definitely try to kill her. Easiest way to get rid of an inconvenience. _That is if they ever got close enough to her to try and glamor her. _On the other hand, Eric found himself strangely pleased by the fact that she couldn't be controlled. As Rhea had said earlier, now that he had seen what kind of child Sookie really was - wiser than most kids, with a fast analytic brain and more bravery than he'd ever seen in any human who'd faced him - he would hate to see her spirit broken. So when he answered, his voice was firm, assessing his inner conclusions. "It's a good thing, Sookie. An excellent thing...But it has to remain a secret. Do you understand ?" He asked her.

_Relief,_ his blood whispered as Sookie nodded vigorously before looking at him shyly. "So you don't think I'm a freak?"

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_So many issues for poor Eric and Sookie ! Reviews ?_


	10. Chapter 10

_Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. I just stop by to play in her sandbox. _

_Many, many thanks to my beta treewitch703!_

_Since it's after midnight, Happy Halloween, people^^_

* * *

Eric quizzically arched an eyebrow. "A freak?" A glance at Rhea told him she was as lost as he. Of course, he knew what the word meant. He had heard it often enough, sometimes even describing him and it always amused him at first - if only the people who called him that knew how close to the truth they were - and of course, they found out when he ripped their throats out. No one insults Eric Northman and lives. Eric _was_ a freak in the primary sense of the word but he also knew what it meant now, he knew it was used to describe someone weird, abnormal, or more exactly, someone who didn't conform, someone different. Sad but true. People who thought or act differently from the mass were looked down upon when they should have been admired for their differences. Or maybe it was just him, being open-minded, but there again, when you have eternity, you have to be somewhat open-minded to survive every change that occurs.

"Yeah, ya know..." Sookie continued. She bit her lips and took a deep breath. "Weird." She squeaked.

"Why would we think you're weird?" Rhea queried. Eric felt irritated at her intervention. Sookie had asked _him_, she wanted to know what _he _thought. Not the fucking Sylph. Rhea should have stayed out of the conversation, just like she had until now.

"Everybody thinks I'm weird," Sookie told her sadly. "Sometimes, I...I can't..." Eric watched as Sookie struggled to find her words. "I can't tell if people are talking or if they are thinking and when I answer them, they look at me like I was a monster. Because I often answer what they are thinking and not saying. But...But..." Tears pooled in her eyes again before rolling down her cheeks. "It's not my fault, ya know!" She told them._ Despair,_ his blood whispered.

"Oh, Sookie..." Rhea murmured, heartbroken.

The child completely ignored her. "I try... I try so hard," She sobbed. "I try to stay out of their heads but I don't know how." She explained them pitifully. "They are all thinking so many things and they are so loud and I...I don't understand why I can hear them. It's like they're all screaming at me and I can't tell the difference between words and thoughts. And they think so many things I don't understand, and when I ask them to explain, they think..." Sookie sobbed harder. "They think I'm a... I'm a... They think I'm a freak." She bawled. Eric briefly wondered if 'they' included her family, but wisely decided to remain silent. He could always ask her later, when she was used to living with him and when she might be emotionally bonded to him and the Sylph.. If he brought her parents up now, all the progress made during the evening would be lost. Not only would her grief probably overwhelm her but they'd have to go through the whole 'I want my Gran' stage again.

So Eric remained silent, listening to everything the child was saying and trying to find the best approach to calm her down but when he felt Rhea's powers flared, he shook his head curtly. "Don't !" He said sharply. "She needs to get all this out of her system." Rhea seemed torn and Eric knew she felt the need to soothe the girl, but Sookie had to experience this. Rhea couldn't simply shield her from her emotions forever. She had to work through them like anybody else.

And so she did. "They are so mean." She continued. "They all think I am not normal. They think I'm a freak who should be locked up somewhere, in an hospital. I've even heard some of them thinking that my parents should have killed me when I was born, or that maybe they should kill me themselves." She sobbed. Rhea gasped and Eric bit back a growl. Once again, humanity disgusted him. Stupid humans. Shunning this girl, _and fucking threatening her life,_ because she was different. Because she was something more. She was more valuable than any of them would ever be. Sookie ignored their reaction - or maybe she hadn't noticed it at all, caught up in her own despair,- and continued. "But they're also so mean to each other. They smile and pretend to be happy but their thoughts are screaming at me. They all judge each other." Sookie said sadly. "_'I'm better looking.', 'I'm richer.', 'What an ugly dress.', 'She's pathetic.', 'I hate you.'_" She cited. "They hate each other, but they pretend they don't. They hate themselves but pretend to be happy too. And I hear all of it. Why do I hear all of it?" She asked to no one in particular.

And that's when Eric felt the shift. _Anger _replaced the _despair _in his blood. "I don't want to hear them." Sookie screamed, suddenly furious. "I never asked to hear them. They're all so mean and full of anger and hatred. Why would anyone want to hear that?" She yelled in frustration. "Their thoughts are nasty. And I have to hear and see it." More angry tears rolled down her cheeks. "I can't... I can't con...cen...tra...te." She stumbled a little on the word before continuing. "At school, the others say I'm stupid. But I'm not stupid. I just can't focus because of them. I hear so many things. When we have tests, I hear them thinking and it's like _I_ can't think anymore. My brain is full of all their thoughts, not mine. Theirs. There's not enough room for my thoughts anymore. So I get bad marks. And they laugh at me. They say I'm weird, and they call me a freak." _Home-school it will be then,_ Eric decided. What would be the point to sending her to school if she can't concentrate enough to learn? At least, here, the only other thoughts she'd have to hear would be those of her teacher. Unaware of his decision, Sookie continued ranting. "And the adults all think I lie. And they always ask me to tell them what they are thinking, and when I do, they say it's not true, it's not what they were thinking and they call me a liar. Doctors say the same thing. I've seen a lot of doctors. They all say I imagine things and lie to make myself more interesting. But that's not true. And I can hear how scared of me they are. They think I'm a freak too!" She exclaimed with indignation. "Everybody thinks I'm a freak."

And that was Eric's cue. "I don't." He announced. "You're not a freak, Sookie." He spoke calmly and clearly. Sookie turned her head to look at him and his blood whispered, _disbelief._ "I truly don't think you're a freak." He told her softly.

Sookie suddenly deflated. "You don't?" She asked weakly, wiping her nose with the back of her hand.

Eric shook his head. "No, I don't." He assured her. "And Rhea doesn't think you're a freak, either." Sookie turned her head to look at her and the Sylph smiled encouragingly.

"That's..." Sookie bit her lips and thought about it. "That's because I can't hear you." She declared.

Eric shrugged. "I won't lie to you. Yes, that's because you can't hear me." _No need to tell her that he'd probably have killed her if she could._ "I think you have a gift, Sookie." He continued.

She shook her head. "It's not a gift."

"Yes, it is." He confirmed. "And just like any other gift, I'm sure you can learn to control it."

"Control it, sir ?" Sookie asked with incredulity.

He nodded encouragingly. "Yes, I'm sure you can learn to block the thoughts."

_Hope,_ his blood whispered. "You really think so, sir?"

"Yes, I do. We will try to work on that. Maybe building mental sheilds would help."

"Mental sheilds, sir?" She asked before a yawn escaped her. _Exhaustion,_ his blood whispered.

"Yes, mental sheilds," He confirmed. "But we will talk about it later. You should sleep, now," He suggested, nodding to the Sylph. He felt her power flared around them and Sookie's eyelids drooped. "It has been a long night."

Once Sookie was asleep, Eric stared at her for a few minutes, thinking about everything she had said. He felt something akin to pity for her. Sookie Stackhouse surely hadn't had an easy life, and with that fae Breandan after her, it could get even worse. And yet, you'd never know when you looked at her. It was amazing.

"She's just a child," Rhea sighed. "And yet, she's been through too much already."

"I'm just surprised her mind hasn't been destroyed already." Eric sighed. Rhea looked at him with horror. "She must be really strong to still be relatively unaffected by all this." He went on. "Having your brain invaded by other people's thoughts would drive almost anyone crazy, I think. And yet, she seems perfectly fine." He mused. "She's definitely something else."

Rhea nodded vigorously. "Yes, she is. She is a fairy."

Eric shook his head. "That's not what I meant. Fairy or not, I have never met anyone quite like her before." The Sylph stared at him silently while Eric stood up and gathered Sookie in his arms. "There are still many things we need to discuss but not now. Come. I'll show you your rooms."

* * *

Later that night, as Eric stretched out in his lair, he realized that he was almost_...exhausted..._as well. The emotional roller coaster the girl had been through during the night had done a number on him too. As dawn pulled him under sleep, his last conscious thought was,

_A really long night, indeed._

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Wow, guys, we've finally covered their first night. Phew, ten chapters ! Guess our friends had a lot of things to discuss. You know what to do if you want the next chapter, right ?_


	11. Chapter 11

_Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. I just stop by to play in her sandbox. _

_Many, many thanks to my beta treewitch703!_

_Sorry for the wait, gotta say, real life got in the way and I couldn't find time to write._

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The following night, when Eric woke up, he found his instincts piqued by the rhythm of two different heartbeats in his house. It took him a few seconds for everything that had happened last night to replay in his mind. _Niall. The deal. The hospital. Sookie. The Sylph. The long, long talk. The tears. Fuck._

A young telepath and a Sylph were living with him now. How would he deal with them? No, seriously? How was he supposed to take care of a _child_? A _part-fairy telepathic _child? A part-fairy telepathic _girl-child_? Fuck. Granted, having a fairy prince in his debt was reason enough to accept this request, but how was he supposed to take care of her? He knew nothing about taking care of children - the few things he might have known had been forgotten over a thousand year ago - and he knew even less about taking care of a girl-child.

Sighing - that was becoming an annoying habit - he closed his eyes and scanned the house. The child was sitting in the living room, he could hear her small heartbeat there and the muffled sounds of TV and the Sylph... The Sylph seemed to be in the kitchen, he could hear her moving stuff around, he could hear the drawers opening and closing and the snicks of cabinet doors. Leaving his bedroom, he walked silently through the corridors. The child's tantalizing smell was everywhere in the house and he could tell she had done some exploring during the day. That made him smile a little. The sooner she felt at home in this house, the less she would pine for her old life and the easier it would be for him to protect her.

* * *

When he suddenly appeared in the kitchen, the Sylph gasped and jumped out her skin, almost dropping the pan she was holding. She quickly put it on the stove, next to another pan and Eric smirked as he watched her drop to her knees to clean the water she had spilled. Her cheeks were flushed in embarrassment as she averted his eyes. "Good evening, sir." She told him without looking at him.

"Evening," Eric replied without dropping his smirk. "What are you making?" He then asked, feigning an interest.

"A mess apparently." The Sylph muttered under her breath and Eric actually chuckled._ Nice. _"Pasta." She then said out loud. Eric nodded his head but said nothing. Food was a foreign concept for him. He couldn't remember what it felt like to eat. Over his thousand years, he had forgotten the texture and the taste of food. But that didn't bother him in the slightest. Unlike young vampires who still held onto their human lives - and therefore hated anything that reminded them of what they had lost - he actually enjoyed watching humans eating. It could be a very sensual experience for him - watching women bringing food to their mouth, sometimes moaning at the taste of it - that is, if he bothered to buy them food before using them.

"When did you go out to buy it?" He asked, frowning. He still needed to find someone to stay with the child and the Sylph during daylight. Going out by themselves was foolish. The Sylph wasn't powerful enough to protect the child if necessary.

"This morning." Rhea answered. "When Sookie was still asleep. You have all the necessary equipment but there was absolutely no food in the house."

"Of course." Eric replied disdainfully. And then, another question struck him. "How did you pay for it ?" _He hadn't thought to leave any money for them..._ "I forgot to give you some money."

"Master Niall." The Sylph told him. _Niall, of course. _"He gave me a credit card to pay for anything Sookie might need." She looked pensive for an instant before adding. "I don't think he wants you to provide for us as well."

"I see." Eric nodded briskly. "Of course, he doesn't. That would just increase his debt in his eyes." He told the Sylph offhandedly. But he was actually quite sure that it wasn't the main reason. Eric was confident that Niall hadn't wanted Sookie to see him as her caretaker, but merely as a bodyguard. Niall wanted to be the one who provided her with food, clothes and anything else she might need or want. Maybe because she was his kin, maybe for some other reason. _Never know with a fairy. _But apparently he hadn't wanted her to feel grateful toward Eric. Niall was the one who wanted her gratitude. _Why?_

* * *

A muffled squeal of laughter broke this train of thought and brought his attention back to the child. "How did the day go?" He asked Rhea, nodding toward the living room.

"Not very well," The Sylph shook her head sadly. "She spent half her time crying."

"Only half her time?" Eric asked, cocking an eyebrow in surprise.

The Sylph looked outraged. "What do you mean by that?" She asked stiffly. Eric smirked again, _did she think she was impressive_? He could break her neck like a twig. And maybe he would._ Someday._

"Calm down," he told her, his amusement clear in his voice. "I merely mean that I was expecting her to cry more than that. Her life completely changed in the last twenty four hours and I'm quite surprised to actually hear her laughing right now. I was expecting tears." _Not that he was complaining. He had had more than his fair share of tears the previous night._

When the Sylph averted her eyes, he growled. "Did you used your powers on her?"

"I...I..." She stammered.

"Shit." He growled. "I told you she needs to cope with things. You have to let her work through her emotions." Eric told her sharply. _Fucking Sylph._

"I...I know, sir." Rhea told him in a trembling voice. "But her pain breaks my heart. Each and everyone of her tears is like a stab in my chest." She apologized. "I...I can't help it. My loyalty toward the Brigant-mark tells me to help her, and if for that I have to use my powers to alter her emotions, then so be it." She told him fiercely.

"Bullshit." Eric replied. "You're not helping her. How can she move on if you alter her emotions? What you make her feel is not real. You're filling her with false emotions..." The Sylph opened her mouth to interrupt him but he raised a hand to shut her up and continued. "...to make it easier for her, I got it. It might be in your nature to want to help her in anyway possible, but you're not helping her. By doing so, you're altering her reality." The Sylph shook her head but Eric continued. "Her parents died a few days ago. Last night, I removed her from the hospital she was in and took her away from her family. Definitively. She'll never see them again, I can't allow that, it would be too dangerous. With me, she found out that her parents had been murdered, and that the murderer was now after her." The Sylph opened her mouth again but Eric didn't give her the opportunity to talk. "She's only ten, just a child. But in less than a week, she's lost her whole family, she's been taken in by two strangers with whom she'll have to live and she has become the prey of a psychotic fairy. Her whole life has been ripped to shreds. She has to come to terms with that. She has to accept what happened to her and what her life will be from now on. She has to deal with the death of her parents, the loss of her remaining family and the changes in her life." Eric assessed forcefully. "She needs to mourn for her family, for her old life, for everything she's lost. It's only natural. She won't be able to move on if you don't let her grieve." The Sylph shook her head. "You have to let her." He ordered.

Rhea frowned sadly. "She's just a child."

Eric nodded. "But she's strong. Stronger than most humans. She'll come to terms with everything that has happened to her and it will make her even stronger. If you let her." He told her pointedly.

"I..." The Sylph stammered. "I'm not sure I can watch her suffer." She told him temporized.

"Then, I'll have to ask Niall to send you back to the astral plane."

Rhea's eyes widened. "Sir...Sir...Sookie...Sookie needs me." She stammered. "You... You can't do that."

"I sure can." Eric told her harshly. "If you can't let her work through her emotions, I'll let Niall know that you're not suited for the child's needs. I know you only want to help. I saw that last night, but as I said earlier you're not helping her. If you're not strong enough to let the child suffer when she has to, if you're not strong enough to resist the urge to take the easier path and shield her instead of letting her work through her emotion, then you're not made to take care of her."

"I have Sookie's best interest at heart." The Sylph protested weakly.

"I know you do. And that's why you have to let her cry for everything she's lost. If you can't control that compulsion of yours, then she'll never move past this. And what will happen the day you aren't around to shield her from her emotions ?" Eric asked.

"I'll always be here." The Sylph answered indignantly.

"You can't be sure. She might not need you anymore once she grows up. Niall could call you back. You could die..."

"Or you could send me back," Rhea interjected sharply.

"That too." Eric nodded. "Or I could do worse if you push me."

* * *

A sharp intake of breath dragged both of their attentions to the little girl who was standing in the doorway. Sookie stood there with tears already pooling in her wide eyes. "What are you talking about?" She asked in a quavering voice.

The Sylph smiled brightly to the little blond. "Diner will be ready soon. Go back and watch more TV, Sookie."

The child ignored her. "Are you going to hurt Rhea, sir?" She asked Eric. _Fear,_ his blood whispered.

"Of course not, Sookie." He told her, through gritted teeth. "We're just talking."

_Incredulity._ "Are you going to send her away?" She then asked him. He opened his mouth to answer her but she continued. "You can't do that, sir. Rhea's really nice to me. She stayed with me all the time. I don't want her to go." Words tumbled out. "Please sir, don't send her away." She begged as tears ran down her cheeks. "Please."

The Sylph looked at him with a smug expression on her face. _Fuck it. _Eric wasn't in the mood to deal with that. That fucking Sylph disobeyed him and she had the gall to look smug. If he stayed here, he would kill her in front of the child. He needed to leave, he needed to cool off, he needed someone to take his frustration out on.

He left the house without looking back and took in the air.

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Hope it was worth the wait. Reviews, please !_


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